Don't use it at all. Now that's green!
Tree's comment:
Now, that's a brief suggestion. Thanks, whoever you are! I know what you're saying - don't just recycle, but beware of consumerism. What we need to beware of is buying and buying, when we really don't need to. And when we do need to buy, beware of packaging when possible.
I finally bought a GPS and was disgusted with all the packaging - the hard plastic that you can't even recycle. I have struggled for several years with whether to get a GPS or not. If I didn't have the kind of need I have to be constantly finding new properties, helping people find the perfect home in the Asheville area, I wouldn't have bought one. I do love maps! But, alas...
We can think through all our purchases and decide which are necessary. Then we can consider the options based on various criteria: price of course is usually high on the list. Buying locally produced goods saves on transportation and contributes to the local economy and helps in a number of other ways. Minimal and/or biodegradable or other recyclable packaging, if any, is better than others. If the goods and packaging are made with green materials and using green processes, that's even batter. Anyway, you get what I mean...
We just need to think before we buy - whether a GPS or a tomato.
If you haven't watched The Story of Stuff yet, you need to watch it now. It's great - and it's a worthwhile 20 minutes! Pass it on to your friends. You can contribute to the cause on their website, too, where there are other interesting, related things.